There are various geometries for magnetic electric motors. One geometry is the linear magnetic motor. In a linear magnetic motor, a shaft is driven to move linearly (that is, as a straight line translation) with respect to a stator. Another geometry is a rotary magnetic motor. In a rotary magnetic motor, a rotor is driven to rotate relative to a stator.
Conventional rotary electric magnetic motors generally include a stator assembly and a rotor that is driven to rotate with respect to the stator assembly. Typically, the rotor is at least partially surrounded by the stator and the rotor generates a magnetic field by virtue of having a series of built in permanent magnets. The stator generates magnetic fields through a series of coils or windings. By timing the flow of current in the coils with respect to the position and/or momentum of the rotor, the interaction of magnetic forces from the rotor and from the stator will rotate the rotor.
Thus, in magnetic motors, magnetic fields are formed in both the rotor and the stator. The product between these two fields gives rise to a force, and thus a torque on the motor rotor or shaft. The rotor thereby moves through the field of the stator due to magnetic forces generated by energized coils in the stator. Thus, a conventional electric motor includes a generally cylindrical outer stator core, stator coils wound within the stator core, and an inner rotor having permanent magnets and that moves relative to the stator core so as to provide motion by means of interaction with the magnetic field of the stator.
The stator conventionally includes at least one coil wound in at least one stator core. The purpose of the stator coils is to generate magnetic flux that interacts with permanent magnets on the rotor. Various stator assembly configurations are known. The stator may be built by stacking module parts, or may be formed from radially-extending laminates, as well as by other methods. The stator core is typically made up of many thin metal sheets, called laminations. Laminations are used to reduce energy losses that would result if a solid core were used.